Thank God for Right Now
Phillip’s Story
Written by: Phillip Nasworthy
My name is Phillip Nasworthy. I’m a high school teacher and coach. Ten days after my 33rd birthday I went to Urgent Care in Cartersville, GA because I thought I had the flu. They immediately sent me to the emergency room because my heart rate was over 160. I was admitted to Cartersville Medical Center with a high heart rate and 103(+) fevers. I spent nine days at Cartersville Medical while four doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with me. After countless scans, tests, and blood cultures ruling out every viral infection they could think of and any infectious disease you’ve ever heard of, we were blessed when a bed at Emory Hospital became available, and I was moved there.
The night I arrived at Emory was insane. Twenty or more doctors, techs, nurses, and hospital staff rushed me into a CT scan waiting room. While there, my fever spiked to over 106, and my heart rate was still climbing.
Over the next few days in ICU, five teams of specialists worked on me to figure out what was wrong. It took them ten days to find a cause. There were two main problems; Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) was the first issue. It’s a rare disease usually found in infants and in young children, but occasionally occurs in adults and is caused by infections, autoimmune disorders, or cancer. Acquired HLH happens when your immune system is not functioning properly. While at Emory, we found out that my “flu-like symptoms” were the HLH causing my body to turn against itself and react to the cancer in my body.
This, then, leads to the second problem; cancer. On October 4, 2018, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma diffused large B-Cell cancer. I will always remember that day and how everything around me seemed to slow down for a bit and almost come to a complete stop. I was 33 years old and didn’t even have a regular doctor. Now I had cancer. I sat and looked at the wall for a while. I texted my brother and said, “got cancer.” He wrote back, “Stay positive! You’re gonna beat this. If anyone can do it, you can. It’s gonna be tough. But what’s not? I’m with you. I love you. You are so strong.”
My combination of Stage 4 cancer and HLH were causing my body to shut down. My bilirubin level got to an all-time high for Emory. Bilirubin is a kidney function and the number should be below one. Mine was 58.7. The elevated bilirubin caused me to become jaundice.
I was about to begin my first chemo treatment, and I asked my doctor, “will this kill me?” and he responded that if the chemo is not effective immediately, then I would have “about 48 hours left.” Upon hearing that, I was ready to start the fight. My first round of chemo was 96 continuous hours. After it was finished, my body responded so well, that only a few days later I was discharged. October 15, 2018, was the first day I got to leave the hospital.
I had lost 60 pounds during my 30-day stay in the hospital. My body was trying to withstand the first chemo round side effects and ended up needing more help. I ended up passing out at home. After calling 9-1-1, my family realized I needed to be transported to the emergency room. During the ambulance ride, the EMT asked my family, “is he DNR?” because she didn’t think I’d survive the ride. My blood pressure was at a critical level of 49/42.
I went through 35 days in the hospital, was poked with a needle just shy of 1,000 times, had 16 separate medications to take daily, etc. It was a nightmare.
God was with me and my family the entire time. I have no doubts. He was there to save me, to comfort my family, to show us that things happen for a reason.
Jason Stoughton, a close friend and man of God, was there with us throughout my journey. He was always there for a prayer, hug, tear, and anything else we needed. During one of the darkest days, Jason came in to spend some time with us. I was about to start my first round of chemo, but before he left, he prayed, with my family, around the bed I was in. While Jason was asking for God’s grace, a bright light came on directly over where I was laying. After the prayer, we asked the nursing staff if they turned it on and they said “no, the only switch is in the corner.” From that moment on, I knew I would be ok.
On February 6, 2019, I had my last chemo treatment. On February 25, 2019, I heard some of the best news I’ve ever gotten; I was in remission with no signs of cancer in my body. I’ll get to celebrate two birthdays every year from now on – the day I was born on September 6 and the day my life was given back to me on February 25.
I have been in remission for over 18 months. I will never be able to thank Dr. Jonathon Cohen and Dr. Melissa Dillmon enough for saving my life. I still get nervous every quarter when it’s time to complete my bloodwork and check-up. I get very nervous every six months when it’s time for new scans. At the end of the day, because of my family, my faith, and being blessed, I get to wake up every day and thank God for right now.
Right now is amazing. I will be marrying the love of my life, Lindsey Lewis, in a few months. I have the greatest family who loves me and knows I love them. My wonderful parents decided to retire shortly after my battle.
